AU: 6x08, Destiny's Pull
by Twin-Swords
Summary: AU. There were only two episodes in Season Six that Chris didn't appear in, one of them was Sword in the City. This story is my wild hare that wouldn't go away and what would happen if Chris had been a part of that episode. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Sword and the City** **Rewrite (Part I)**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Charmed or any of the characters… although, I really wish I did own at least a certain slightly neurotic, but charmingly adorable future Whitelighter. Unfortunately they belong to someone else. So does the episode Sword and the City.

**Author's Note**: This was a little wild hare of mine… and I just had to get it out. The episode Sword and the City originally ran in Season 6 of Charmed… one of only two episodes that season that _didn't_ have Chris in it. I figured, there must have been some reason for it, right? Anyway, here's my altered version. The first few parts are basically transcripts from the show, but there are differences as it goes on. Promise! I hope you enjoy it.

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"It looks like they're all asleep. Maybe I should sneak out of here," Richard says casually to Paige as they walk into the Manor's kitchen together with their arms around one another.

"No. Why don't you stay for breakfast?" Paige suggests, turning to look at him, "How do you like your eggs?"

Richard smiles at her, "What about your sisters?"

Paige's eyes twinkle with mirth as she starts backing up from him to begin breakfast, "What about them?" In her backwards movement, Paige trips over a pair of legs that are sticking out from under the sink and falls on the ground.

"Whoa!" Richard says, reaching to stop Paige from falling, but not moving quite fast enough to manage. Both Piper and Paige stand up, dusting themselves off.

"Oh! Sorry. You okay?" Piper asks her sister.

Paige nods, looking at Piper with a puzzled expression, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to fix the garbage disposal. What are _you_ doing?" Piper asks with a little smirk.

"Messing around."

Piper raises her eyebrows, "Ohh…"

Richard looks apologetic and offers, "Sorry, I should have told you I was here."

Piper waves him off, "No, don't be silly. Paige is a big girl, she can hang out all she wants to. Not that she does, a lot, I mean."

Paige makes a face at Piper, "You can stop now."

"Great," Piper says, starting to turn back to the garbage disposal.

Richard steps over, "Hey, you mind if I take a look?"

Blinking, Piper steps out of the way, offering the screwdriver to Richard, "Sure. Go ahead."

"Okay," Richard says, standing over the sink. He doesn't take the offered screwdriver. Instead the man flips on the garbage disposal creating a rather loud racket.

"What's wrong with the disposal anyway?" Paige asks.

Piper sighs, raking a hand through her hair, "Not disposing. Washer not washing, cable not cabling."

The youngest Charmed Sister adds, "Don't forget the sink upstairs."

"Yeah, that's next on my list," Piper grumbles.

"Sounds like fun," Paige says sarcastically.

"It's my life, actually, all about fun," the eldest Halliwell quips.

As the two sisters are engaged in their conversation, Richard holds his hand above the sink using magic to repair the problem. The dirty water empties down the drain after just a second of his magical intervention on the garbage disposal, "There you go, good as new."

"He's handy to have around," Paige says.

Piper, however, isn't as pleased with the results. The brunette's expression could be surmised as disapproving big sister, "Yeah. I thought you didn't use magic anymore?"

"Just once in a while, for little things," Richard says, "You want me to fix the washer?"

Simultaneously Paige and Piper answer. Paige with a 'yes' and Piper with a firm 'no'. The two exchange looks with one another, making Richard slightly uncomfortable. Phoebe walks into the kitchen just a moment later, rather dressed up.

"Can you guys help me pick out some earrings?" Phoebe asks. She raises her eyebrows when she notices Richard in the kitchen with her two sisters, "Hi, I didn't know you were here."

Richard nods, "Hey, yeah, we got in late last night."

Phoebe raises her eyebrows, "I see."

Piper chimes in, "He fixed the garbage disposal."

Phoebe looks impressed, "Really?"

Piper nods, "Mm-hmm. Magically."

That response drops Phoebe's impressed look to one closer to Piper's earlier disapproving look, "Really?" She places a hand on Piper's arm, "Can you help me with my earrings out here, please?"

Piper agrees, "Sure."

As the two older sisters leave the room, Paige is left alone with Richard and restates her question to him about breakfast, "So how do you like your eggs? Scrambled of over easy?"

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Phoebe frowns, looking over her shoulder into the kitchen as she and Piper walk into the dining room. The pair move to the bottom of the stairs before Phoebe speaks, "Okay, listen. Was that weird?"

Piper doesn't answer the question, although she clearly agrees with the opinion over Paige's relationship with Richard. Instead she chooses to comment on Phoebe's attire, "Why are you so dressed up?"

Phoebe smiles, "Because I have a date with Jason." Shaking her head, she tries to keep things on topic. "But that's beside the point. Didn't Richard lose it the last time he used magic? I mean, like really lose it?"

"Uh, I can assure you that he stayed in complete control over the garbage disposal," Piper says, again turning the subject away from their baby sister, "Uh, it's seven o'clock in the morning, how can you have a date?"

"Oh, because it's seven here but it's evening in Hong Kong," Phoebe answers. She's only diverted from the topic for just that moment and latches right back onto the reason she asked Piper out here to talk, "Okay, so you're not concerned about Richard using magic?"

Piper sighs, "Yeah, I am, but I'm more concerned with Paige being really pissed off because we butted into her business again."

"Yeah, I know," Phoebe says, "but we're sisters, that's what we're supposed to do."

Piper shakes her head; giving it one more try to turn Phoebe away from the topic of Paige. Piper might not fully approve, but it was none of her business. None of _their_ business, especially with how much trouble their interfering in Paige's life the last time caused. "Uh, back to your date. I don't understand, is Chris orbing you to Hong Kong?"

"No, we're video conferencing. We just open our laptops and there we are in color," Phoebe says, getting pulled off track again by her older sister.

Piper smiles, "Mm-hmm, in each other's laps."

Phoebe goes right back to the topic of Paige and Richard, "So do you think we should talk to Paige about Richard?"

Piper is slightly exasperated with Phoebe, but she does have concerns of her own, "We don't really know him."

"I know, we don't," Phoebe says, "And neither does she, that's the problem." Phoebe looks at Piper, noticing the expression on her face. "What, can't I worry?"

"From afar, yeah," Piper says. She really shouldn't have to remind Phoebe not to stick her nose into Paige's life unless she asks. Inevitably it would be Piper having to play referee there if that happened. She turns away and starts towards the stairs, "Now, excuse me, I have to go unclog a sink."

As Piper goes up the stairs, Phoebe holds up the two different pairs of earrings trying to decide between the two of them. Piper walks into the bathroom and makes a face at the water in the sink. Setting her tool box down, Piper looks at the clogged sinks.

"Well, maybe a little magic couldn't hurt."

Just as Piper is getting ready to use a spell to unclog the sink the water bubbles up. Piper takes an involuntary step back from it. The bubbling water lifts up forming into the face of a woman. The desperate plea from the water woman calls out to the eldest Charmed Sister, "Help me."

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The Charmed Ones orb into a sunny park beside a lake to answer to the call of the watery woman that appeared to Piper. Paige looks at her sisters, "Okay, so water lady pops up from the sink. Are you sure she's not a demon?"

Piper shakes her head, stepping forward, "I'm sure she needed help."

Phoebe asks, "What else did she say?"

Piper shrugs, "That was it. Pretty park, pond and poof." The water in the pond starts to bubble up and a sword dramatically rises up out of the water. Piper gestures towards it, "Over there."

A woman made of water rises from the pond. Held in her hand is a gleaming sword, held prominently in front of her as she moves towards the Charmed Ones. The watery woman floats towards the land and as her feet touch it, she turns solid, heading straight towards the girls. "They're coming. Take this, it does not belong to them."

A black cloaked man shimmers in, wielding a dagger and a shield. His target is seen in the woman with the sword and he flings the dagger at her. The dagger strikes its target in the watery woman, stabbing her. As the woman falls, the sword flies from her hands over some of the trees. The Charmed Ones race towards the woman just as two more demons wearing black masks shimmer in. Both of the black masked demons carry battle-axes. The first man materializes a sword in his hand to replace the dagger he used to stab the water woman.

Phoebe and Paige turn towards the demons to fight them.

"Axe!" Paige calls, orbing the weapon into her hand and using it to vanquish him.

Phoebe gets the axe from the other demon and cuts him down with it, vanquishing him. Piper is left to deal with the first man and she tries to blow him up as Phoebe and Paige run over.

"I'm liking these odds," Phoebe says, hefting her axe threateningly.

Seeing that it's just him against the three Charmed Ones, the man shimmers out.

Paige sniffs, dropping her axe, "Wuss." Phoebe drops her axe as well, looking at the spot that the man shimmered away from.

Turning back to the woman that had emerged from the lake they are in time to hear her dying words, "The sword. The sword is…" That is the last that she is able to get out before she dissolves, turning into a puddle of water.

Phoebe blinks, "Where'd she go? What'd she say?"

"Uh, she said something about the sword. Where is it?" Piper asks, turning around. All three sisters stop, staring at it.

"It's in the stone," Paige says softly, stating the obvious.

Phoebe questions, "The sword and the stone?"

"Oh, you gotta be kidding me. Right?" Piper asks, rolling her eyes.

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**Author's Note:** Click that nice little box at the bottom and post a review!

Belladona-Isabela: Thank you for the review!


	2. Chapter 2

**Sword and the City** **Rewrite (Part II)**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Charmed or any of the characters… although, I really wish I did own at least a certain slightly neurotic, but charmingly adorable future Whitelighter. Unfortunately they belong to someone else. So does the episode Sword and the City.

**Author's Note**: This was a little wild hare of mine… and I just had to get it out. The episode Sword and the City originally ran in Season 6 of Charmed… one of only two episodes that season that _didn't_ have Chris in it. I figured, there must have been some reason for it, right? Anyway, here's my altered version. The first few parts are basically transcripts from the show, but there are differences as it goes on. Promise! I hope you enjoy it.

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A short time later, Piper, Paige and Richard are gathered in the Conservatory at the Manor. The sword and the stone rest in the middle of the room as Piper sweeps around the massive artifact.

"Okay, could you maybe miss the table?" Piper asks, mildly annoyed.

Paige rolls her eyes, "I'm sorry. I've never orbed anything that heavy before or that historic."

The sword gleams brilliantly, sparkling as if with some inner light.

Richard stares at it, transfixed, "Do you see it glowing?"

"No, it's the sun room, there's a lot of light," Piper says, writing it off as nothing.

Paige looks at her sister incredulously, "What part of this reality aren't you getting? Sword. Stone. Lady. Lake?"

"It was a pond," Piper argues.

Richard questions, "Do you think she's from Avalon?"

Paige nods, "Yeah, I think she was flushed out by whoever's after Excalibur." The half witch, half whitelighter pauses dramatically, looking at the sword, "The maker of kings."

Piper stops her sweeping to stare at the two of them, "Look, we're not talking about Camelot, right? Because that's not real."

"So you're saying you never believed in King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table?" Paige asks.

Piper says, "Yes, I did, when I was seven, and then I grew up."

Paige laughs, "Yeah, you grew up to be a witch that fights demons and silly looking dragons."

"That's different," Piper argues, "that's real."

Paige gestures to the sword and the stone, "And this isn't real?"

"What _is_ real are those hooded freaks," Piper says, still denying the reality of Excalibur.

Richard looks concerned, resting a hand on Paige's shoulder, "They're not gonna give up now that the sword is in the open."

"How do you know?" Piper asks in a mildly suspicious tone.

"Whoever has Excalibur is unstoppable," Richard answers, looking at the sword.

Phoebe walks in, carrying the Book of Shadows, "Okay, there is definitely nothing in the book." Phoebe tilts her head to one side, looking at Richard noticing that he's still around. "Oh, hi. How ya doing?"

Piper nearly grinds her teeth together, "Phoebe, please, put a stop to this nonsense."

Phoebe stops, still looking pointedly at Richard, "Didn't realize you were still here."

Paige defends Richard, "That's okay, you can talk freely in front of him. Lord knows we've been through enough."

Phoebe shakes her head, "No, not really."

"Phoebe," Piper says in a warning tone.

Richard shifts uncomfortably, drawing his hand away from Paige, "Look, I should probably go…"

Phoebe looks at Piper, then plasters an incredibly fake smile on her face, "Don't be ridiculous, you're great."

Paige takes Richard's hand again, "Okay, anyway, book, Excalibur."

Phoebe shakes her head, "Yeah, nothin', nada."

"Really?" Paige asks.

Piper looks smug, nodding towards Paige, "Told ya."

"You know, hey, maybe it's been out of circulation since 'ye olden days', and maybe no Halliwell has come across it before," Paige suggests.

Phoebe flips through the pages and offers the book towards her sisters, "Well, we have run across these guys. Executioner demons. Low-level Bad Asses for hire."

"Who hired them?" Piper asks.

Phoebe flips to the next page, "This higher-level Bad Ass."

Piper crosses towards Phoebe and looks at the page, "A power mad paladin of destruction."

Paige looks towards Richard, squeezing his hand gently, "Maybe, you know, maybe we should just kind of hang out later."

Richard nods, certainly not feeling welcomed by the other two, "Yeah, okay. Bye."

Piper waves to Richard, not wanting to be rude, "Bye."

Richard heads out of the conservatory towards the front door, followed by Paige. "Be careful in all of this," Richard says to Paige.

"Always. I had a really good time last night," Paige says.

"Me too."

"What?" Paige asks.

"Uh, I just don't think your sisters like me very much," Richard says quietly to her.

Paige shakes her head, "Oh, that's not true."

"Really?"

Paige shrugs, "Okay, maybe they're just doing the over protective sister thing."

Richard smiles, touching the side of Paige's face, "Well, that's a good thing because I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Don't worry," Paige reassures him with a hug.

Phoebe is watching Paige and Richard in the other room from the Conservatory. Piper tries to draw her back into the subject at hand and get her to quit pestering their little sister.

"So, he's an upper level demon which means you should be able to make a vanquishing potion," Piper says.

"Okay," Phoebe says, then a beat later, "Wait, me? Why me?"

"Because… hello… I have a few hundred things to do around here in addition to raising a small child," Piper says.

Phoebe bites her lower lip, "I know, you have so much to do, you're my hero. But I can't, I have to go to work. I still don't have an assistant and I'm swamped." Phoebe heads quickly towards the door before she can really be suckered into making the potion.

Piper calls after her, "Phoebe." With Phoebe leaving and Paige returning to the room, Piper turns to her. "Paige! Potion?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey, the temp agency's already got me a new job," Paige says.

"But that hardly compares with…" Piper starts, gesturing towards the sword.

Paige gives Piper a look, "Come on, you know there's a magical reason that I had every one of these jobs and who am I to interfere with destiny?"

"Okay, so you want me to add baby-sit the sword and mix vanquishing potion to my never ending 'to do' list?" Piper asks.

"Look, the sword is stuck in the stone. You know it, I know it, the bad guys know it. Nobody is going to get it out until King Arthur pulls it out and when that happens there'll be lots of fireworks," Paige says.

Piper asks, "And when might that be?"

"How should I know? Maybe in a couple thousand years," Paige says, starting to walk out. Part of the way out of the door Paige turns around and walks back towards the sword. With a grin she grabs hold of the hilt and gives it a hard tug to try to pull it out. The sword doesn't even budge. With a laugh and a shrug, Paige grins at Piper, "Well, you can't blame a girl for trying."

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In a cave within the Underworld the Dark Knight pushes a demon against the wall and holds his sword up to the demon's neck. "Oh, but I do blame you," the Dark Knight growls, "The sword is now locked in stone. You promised me murderers, what you delivered was cannon fodder for witches."

"Those weren't just witches," the demon says in his defense.

"Tell me, demon, will your thick head still spout excuses when its cut from your neck?" the Dark Knight threatens.

"If the sword is with the Charmed Ones, it means we need a better class of executioners, that's all," the demon says.

Slowly the Dark Knight lowers his sword, "And how much more will this cost me?"

"The Charmed Ones are formidable."

"How much?"

"To provide you with more executioners, and the training needed to drown the Charmed Ones in their own blood…" the demon walks over to a round table with a large pentagram carved out of the top. The demon smiles and turns back towards the Dark Knight, "A seat at the table. If your goal is to unite all evil under the corrupted power of the sword, you can do far worse than have me at your side."

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**Author's Note:** Still getting up to the point where Chris will come in. He'll show up in the next chapter, just keep reading… and when you finish, do me a huge favor and click that little box that says 'review'!


	3. Chapter 3

**Sword and the City** **Rewrite (Part III)**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Charmed or any of the characters… although, I really wish I did own at least a certain slightly neurotic, but charmingly adorable future Whitelighter. Unfortunately they belong to someone else. So does the episode Sword and the City.

**Author's Note**: This was a little wild hare of mine… and I just had to get it out. The episode Sword and the City originally ran in Season 6 of Charmed… one of only two episodes that season that _didn't_ have Chris in it. I figured, there must have been some reason for it, right? Anyway, here's my altered version. The first few parts are basically transcripts from the show, but there are differences as it goes on. Promise! I hope you enjoy it.

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Phoebe rubs her temples as she sits behind her desk at the Bay Mirror. There is a massive amount of clutter upon the desk. A woman walks in, placing a manila folder on the desk atop a leaning pile of letters.

"Reponses to last week's column," the woman says.

Phoebe looks up at her, "How'd you get into my email?"

"Your email account is maxed out, so your fans are using ours," the woman answers.

Phoebe makes a face, taking the envelope and looking at it, "Oh, I tell you, Elise better find me a new assistant because pretty soon she's gonna have to ask Phoebe to take my foot out of her…" the phone rings, cutting off the rest of what Phoebe was going to say. The woman that brought the envelope slips out while Phoebe searches for her phone beneath the piles of papers on her desk. "Hello, Phoebe Halliwell. Oh, hey Laura."

Phoebe picks up her date book, "Uh, I have that down for…" She opens it and looks inside, then makes a face, "This morning. Oh my God, I missed it. I'm so sorry. No, of course I can reschedule, absolutely." The sound of someone clearing their throat draws Phoebe's attention. She looks up to see Paige in her doorway. "Actually, Laura, can I call you back when I have my book in front of me? Okay, great, I'm so sorry. Thanks. Bye." Phoebe hangs up and buries her head in her hands, "Hi. I thought you had a new temp job today."

"I do," Paige says.

"Why aren't you there?" Phoebe asks, her head still held in her hands.

"Apparently I am."

Phoebe looks up, "What? Here?"

Paige nods, "Yep."

"As my assistant?"

"Well, I think I prefer being called your desk manager," Paige says.

Phoebe pauses, "Wait, I thought you get all of your temp jobs for divine reasons."

Paige affirms, "Usually I do."

"Yeah, but I don't need divine help," Phoebe says, "I need filing and faxing and desk management help."

Paige smiles, "I'm your girl. I really am. We'll just, you know, see if the divine stuff kind of appears later. Usually does."

"Yeah, but I can't tell you what to do," Phoebe says, "I mean, how weird is that?"

Paige raises an eyebrow, "Well, it's no weirder than usual."

"Oh, I see," Phoebe says.

Paige laughs, reassuringly, "Just kidding, sort of. Listen, you get back to your column, I will call Laura and reschedule, I will…" Paige picks up a large stack of messages, "Help… stuff."

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In the Manor's Laundry room, Piper is looking at the washing machine with a feeling of hopelessness. It's making a terrible noise as soap suds come out of it. Piper shakes her head, putting down the useless monkey wrench and yanks the plug from the wall.

"Perfect," Piper grumbles, feeling rather like she'll never get through her 'to do' list at this rate. Things certainly don't appear to be going in her favor. She walks out of the laundry room, moving into the kitchen where a pot is boiling over. Piper mutters inwardly as she cleans up the mess that has been created.

"Hey, lady," a male voice calls out to her.

Piper turns around, looking around the bench to see one of the seven dwarfs standing there.

"We could really use an authority figure out there," the dwarf suggests.

"What are you doing here?" Piper asks.

"What am I doing here? I'm getting pushed around. I just lost my place in line," the dwarf answers.

Piper looks puzzled, "What line?"

The dwarf walks out of the kitchen with Piper following hastily after him, intent on getting to the bottom of this. Piper is led back into the Conservatory where creatures of all shapes and sizes are standing in a line behind the sword and stone. A woman is trying to pull the sword out but it doesn't budge. She gives up as the next in line has a go.

Piper stares in shock, "What is this?"

"Natural selection," the dwarf answers, "Naturally I hope the sword selects me to be kind. Finally get a little respect around here." He is met by laughter from the other creatures.

"You people, you creatures, whatever, you can't be here, you gotta go," Piper says.

"We have a divine right to try our hand," the Ogre announces.

Piper waves her hand in front of her face at the horrible stench that wafts from the Ogre, "Wow."

"Yeah. Ten feet is pretty much the distance," the dwarf says.

"Back of the line, please. Hoof it, sister!" another creature orders.

"Chris!" Piper shouts, "Chris! Get down here." Rather than Chris orbing in, Leo does and Piper stares at him, "Where's Chris?"

Leo answers with a simple, "Busy." He looks around at the gathered magical creatures then to Piper, "What's going on?"

Piper doesn't answer, annoyed, "Busy with what?"

Leo answers, "Other charges. I…" Chris orbs in and Leo glares at the young whitelighter, "…took him off your account again. Chris, what are you doing here?"

"I told you before Leo, I'm only here because of Wyatt and the sisters. I don't have time for…" Chris cuts off as he notices the sword and stone and his breath catches in his throat. Sage-green eyes widen, "Wh… is… I mean… get… get rid of it!" So shocked by seeing the sword and stone in the middle of the conservatory he's lost his impervious mask. In fact, the expression on his face is very close to panicked. "Mo… Piper, where… when… where did this come from?" He swallows, trying to get a handle on himself. He'd almost slipped. Almost called her 'mom'. His mother and the sword in the same room together… the last time that had…

Piper looks at Leo oddly, "Our account?" When Chris orbs in, she brushes past Leo and looks glad to see him for once. Never mind that he had apparently disobeyed whatever Leo had intended for him today. "Great, Chris! There you are. Where? The Lady in the Lake. This morning. And you look about as thrilled to see it as I am. Would you get rid of it?"

Leo scowls at Chris, "You and I need to talk later." Hearing Piper's words, Leo actually appears to notice the sword for the first time. It's enough to get him to let Chris off the hook for the moment. "Whoa, is that what I think it is?"

Piper shakes her head, "No, no, it's not, okay. Now look, you gotta get all these people out of here because I can't do this right now."

Some of the color drains from Chris's face as he stares at the sword. Leo takes a few steps towards Excalibur and reaches for it.

One of the creatures growls at Leo, "Hey, hey! No cuts, buddy."

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Phoebe walks out of a room at The Bay Mirror, "Hey."

A woman looks up at Phoebe and questions, "How was the staff meeting?"

"Endless. How's my new assistant working out?" Phoebe asks.

"Oh, she put a fire under the interns, that's for sure," the woman responds.

"Really?" Phoebe asks, heading towards her office.

Inside Phoebe's office, Paige is sitting at the desk. A miraculously clean and orderly desk. There are three guys sitting on front of the desk, listening to Paige. "Okay, who can help me with that?" All three of the interns raise their hands and Paige points to one selecting him. "Great. You got it. And what about collating and cross referencing?" Two raise their hands. "You, and so, you would have data basing," Paige says delegating out the work, "Alright. Great, you boys have your marching orders, I will check back with you in a couple of hours."

Phoebe stands in the doorway, watching and impressed. The three guys get up and leave the room, passing by Phoebe on her way in. "Wow, who works here?" Phoebe asks as she gestures to her tidy desk.

"You do," Paige responds, smiling proudly, "Who rocks? That would be me. By the end of the day we're gonna have a system in place that tracks your column ideas, your columns written and your columns considered, plus a separate file for you questions, comments and fan mail."

Phoebe shakes her head, "I can't believe it."

"Well, believe it because you my dear, are never going to miss anything again," Paige stands up, letting Phoebe sit down.

"That's good."

"It is good news because you my dear, need to concentrate," Paige says.

"Yes, I do."

"Yes, you do. Starting with tomorrow's column," Paige says.

Phoebe looks at her, "I already wrote tomorrow's column."

"Yeah, you did."

Phoebe raises an eyebrow, questioning, "Uh, is there a problem with it?"

Paige answers, "Well, I mean, I'm no expert but I was just thinking about this one question. Okay, the girl's family wants her to break up with him because they think he's an alcoholic and absent of any proof you're telling her to end it."

"Well, you know, not really end it, just slow it down a bit," Phoebe says.

"Okay, but slowing it down by not seeing each other is in affect ending it," Paige says.

Phoebe says automatically, "I just think you should keep your eyes open."

"Keep _my_ eyes open?" Paige asks.

Phoebe blinks, trying to correct her slip, "I.. I mean I think that she should keep _her_ eyes open. You know what I mean."

"Yeah. This column's about Richard and I, isn't it?"

"No, it's not about Richard," Phoebe says, lying horribly, "Don't be ridiculous."

"You hate him," Paige says, "I can tell and what's worse, he can tell."

"Look, Paige, if you're sensing anything from me, it's just concern. I'm concerned you're falling too fast for a guy you barely know. But it's none of my business."

"You're right," Paige says tersely, "It's not any of your business."

Leo orbs in, disrupting the argument, "Hey, Piper needs your help now."

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Inside the Conservatory a tiny fairy is trying to pull the sword out of the stone while Piper and Chris watch. The oldest Charmed sister and the young whitelighter are both standing with their arms crossed in front of themselves in a curiously similar stance. Piper's expression looks annoyed, while Chris's looks increasingly more worried. The fairy is flung away from the sword by the ogre, sending the fairy flying across the room.

"Pest," the Ogre mutters at the fairy before trying to pull the sword out himself.

Phoebe, Paige and Leo orb into the room.

Phoebe's eyes widen as she looks at the gathered crowd trying to draw the sword free, "Oh, my."

Paige stares as well, "I was afraid this would happen."

Piper gives Paige a look, "Do you think you could have mentioned that?"

Phoebe moves over to her sister, "And they won't leave?"

Piper shakes her head, "Oh, no, no. More show up every minute."

"But no bad guys yet, right?" Paige asks.

Phoebe makes a face, waving her hand in front of her face, "What is that stench? What is that _stench_?"

Piper rubs her temples, "We gotta get this thing out of the manor."

Chris chimes in, agreeing rather quickly, "I think that sounds like a terrific idea. We'll get it out of here."

Leo shakes his head, "Hey, the Lady of the Lake came to the Charmed Ones for help. I'm not messing with that."

"If he won't get rid of it, then I will!" Chris says, moving away from the sisters and Leo and heading towards the sword. He doesn't really want to get close to it, much less touch it to orb it away, but it beats having it in the Manor. Before Leo can stop him, or anyone else for that matter, Chris has his hands on the hilt of the sword, intent on orbing it away. The sword gleams, sliding effortlessly out of the stone and sending Chris staggering backwards with it in his hands.

A golden glow wraps around the sword, while gleaming filigree script swirls about the blade and settles into it. Chris stares at it with over-wide green eyes and complete shock. Phoebe lets out a quiet gasp.

One of the creatures speaks up, "Your Majesty."

"Wow," is the only word that Piper can manage.

The creatures around the room begin to kneel or spread into deep curtseys, all looking towards Chris. Everyone in the room is shocked, but no one so much as the young man holding the sword. Although, horrified, would probably be a better term for the expression that is etched into Chris's face. Chris drops the sword, his hands releasing the blade as though it were a venomous serpent.

"I… uh, no…" Chris says, letting out a faint nervous laugh, "Not possible… not… it's not meant for… I mean it belongs to…" The young man from the future flounders for words, swallowing hard and finally deciding on the good old reliable, "Future Consequences!" He desperately looks towards the sisters, "Piper!" Chris takes a step back away from the sword that now lies on the floor at his feet. It starts to slide towards him and Chris actually flinches. Looking now to the kneeling creatures, "Out, all of you out!"

The creatures rise, beginning to start out of the room, but at the same time Leo and the sisters start to leave too at the command.

"Not _you_!" Chris says, stopping Leo and the sisters, "Them!" The sword does slide towards him now, and Chris bends to grab it quickly. He looks like he would rather be anywhere but right there, holding the sword at that moment. Hastily, Chris jams it back into the stone, shaken, "I can't deal with this. I've gotta go." Chris orbs out as soon as the sword is secured in the stone again.

Piper, Paige, Phoebe and Leo continue to stare at the sword and the stone, and where Chris had only been a moment before. Piper opens her mouth to say something, but no words come out. The magical creatures have stopped again, not all of them have left, now watching to see what the Charmed Ones are going to do.

"D… did that just happen?" Paige asks, "Future boy just pulled Excalibur out of the stone and left?" Paige cautiously walks back over to the sword and gives it another try, but it doesn't budge. Just to confirm that she saw what she thinks she saw. What everyone just saw.

Phoebe lifts a hand to her head, moistening her lips, "I usually can't sense anything from him, but right then… I got a _whole_ lot of fear from him. He wasn't expecting that."

Piper moves over to the sword, "Uh, he's not the only one. I didn't see that one coming. Chris!" Piper shouts for him, "Chris!" She looks at her sisters, "I still want this thing out of here!"

Phoebe rubs her temples, "He was really scared Piper. Somehow, I don't think he's terribly receptive to the sword choosing him to be the next King Arthur."

"I don't care! Chris! Get your Royal Ass back here this instant! Ooooh… when that boy gets back here so help me I'll… I…" Piper grabs the sword, her eyes narrowing. The sword slides out into her hand, sending her falling backwards onto the floor. Piper stares at it… as do her sisters and the Magical Creatures. The magical creatures look torn and then bow to Piper now. "Oh. …but…"

A man appears in the room out of nowhere and walks over to Piper.

"I bet you didn't expect this when you got up this morning," he says, offering a hand to help her up to her feet.

Piper takes the hand, "I…"

Phoebe covers her mouth in shock, looking towards Paige.

Piper shakes her head, her mind reeling. First that the sword had come out for Chris, but then that it had pulled free for her as well once the whitelighter had left. Piper stares at the man and then at the sword in her hand. No golden script had flowed over it, like it had when Chris had taken it, but it had come out for her. It had.

"The sword has chosen. You are the new savior. The champion of good, the master of Excalibur. Welcome to your new destiny."

Piper makes a face, "But… Aw, crap."

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**Author's Note:** Whew! Read on and please toss me a review!

Persephone25: Thanks so much for the review!


	4. Chapter 4

**Sword and the City** **Rewrite (Part IV)**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Charmed or any of the characters… although, I really wish I did own at least a certain slightly neurotic, but charmingly adorable future Whitelighter. Unfortunately they belong to someone else. So does the episode Sword and the City.

**Author's Note**: This was a little wild hare of mine… and I just had to get it out. The episode Sword and the City originally ran in Season 6 of Charmed… one of only two episodes that season that _didn't_ have Chris in it. I figured, there must have been some reason for it, right? Anyway, here's my altered version. The first few parts are basically transcripts from the show, but there are differences as it goes on. Promise! I hope you enjoy it.

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"Okay, let's go, nothing to see here anymore, no more show, adios, scram," Phoebe says as she finishes pushing the last dwarf out of the door.

"Your majesty, seriously, if you need anything, anything at all, castles built, suits of armor. You name it, I got connections," the dwarf is saying as Phoebe pushes him out the door. Once he's out the door, Phoebe closes it and leans against it, dusting her hands off. Phoebe breathes a sigh of relief at having gotten rid of the magical creatures, but there are still problems to deal with. Namely the fact that Chris had drawn the sword, had run off, only to have Piper draw the sword from the stone as well. Phoebe moves into the living room where her sisters, brother-in-law, and the mysterious fellow that had appeared when Piper took hold of the sword wait. "Is it just me or does it still smell like ogre in here?"

Piper is gazing at the sword when Phoebe sits down. The eldest Charmed sister takes a seat, placing Excalibur on the coffee table in front of her. "I'm telling you guys, this is all just a big mistake. I mean, Chris is…" Excalibur glows slightly and slides closer to Piper. "Stop that!" Piper tells the sword.

The mysterious man says quietly, "It's drawn to you, just like you were drawn to it."

Piper glares at him, "Do I look like I'm drawn to it pal?"

"You will be in time," he responds somewhat cryptically.

"No, I don't have time to play Queen Arthur," Piper snaps. She rubs her hands against her temples, mumbling under her breath softly, "I'm gonna kill him."

Paige walks in carrying Wyatt, "Oh, come on Piper, have a little fun. Don't you realize what this means?" Paige hands Wyatt over to his father and then sits down on the arm of the sofa.

"That I'm going to kill our neurotic whitelighter and I have one more thing on my 'to do' list?" Piper asks.

"No," Paige says, "it means you my dear, are the chosen one. The first in centuries to have power over the sword." She pauses thinking about Chris, "Okay, second, but never mind that. Tell her all about it Merlin."

"Oh, actually, the name's Mordaunt. Merlin was just a fairy tale."

"Ha!" Piper says.

"But Camelot was not," Mordaunt adds.

"Ah ha!" Paige emphasizes.

"And thanks to you it can rise again," Mordaunt says to Piper.

Phoebe leans forward, looking at Mordaunt, "So what are you? A wizard? A sorcerer?"

Mordaunt answers, "Actually, I'm neither. I'm just a humble teacher in service of the sword. And we must begin instruction immediately before your enemy attacks."

"The Dark Knight," Paige states rather than asks.

"You know him?" Mordaunt asks.

"Yeah, we've already kicked his ass," Phoebe says.

"And if he shows up again we have a vanquishing potion ready and waiting," Piper says.

Mordaunt looks at the three sisters, "What's in it?"

"It's a mandrake variation with a little bit of griffin's blood," the eldest sister answers.

"Good, if you're going up against a poustuous knave which you're not. If you want to fight the Dark Knight with magic, this is what you need," Mordaunt advises, materializing a piece of parchment into his hand.

Leo looks at him suspiciously, "I thought you said you weren't a sorcerer."

"I picked up a few things along the way," the man says, handing Phoebe the parchment, "The Dark Knight is no trifle. You have to hit him with everything you have."

Phoebe wrinkles her nose, "I've never even heard of half of these ingredients."

"It looks like you picked up quite a bit," Leo directs at Mordaunt. The Elder looks at Phoebe, "What do you think?"

"Can't get a read on him," Phoebe says.

"Distrust is expected but don't let it blind you. If I haven't taught Piper how to master the sword before the Dark Knight returns, your survival depends on that potion," Mordaunt explains.

Phoebe concedes, "Okay, so where are we supposed to get the ingredients?"

"I think I know a place. Leave it to me, your trusty assistant," Paige says, taking Phoebe's hand and orbing out with her.

Leo sighs, standing up with Wyatt still in his arms, "Alright, I guess I will go check with the other Elders and see if they know anything… and see if I can find Chris, if he's not masking himself from me. You want me to take Wyatt?" Leo frowns when Piper doesn't seem to hear him for her gazing at the sword, "Piper?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you want me to take Wyatt with me?" Leo asks again.

"Yeah, sure," Piper says as Leo orbs out with Wyatt, "I'll be fine." Piper slowly stands with the sword, still looking at the gleaming weapon as if entranced.

Mordaunt summons a sword, a weapon materializing in his hand. Immediately the man attacks Piper with it, producing a scream from the brunette witch. She blocks his strike with Excalibur.

"Not bad. Better than Arthur's first time," the man states.

"Really?"

"Now, I'm going to come in low. Believe in Excalibur, just let it flow through you," he says as he begins to engage her in a sparring match with their swords.

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In a cave the Dark Knight and a demon are walking past masked demons making weapons. The Dark Knight stops, "Is he your best?"

"The highest quality. They'll get the job done," the demon tells him.

"They better. If they don't, it's not me they'll have to answer to."

"I thought you were the…"

"I serve a greater power," the Dark Knight says.

The demon questions, "Whose?"

Into the cave walks a masked demon, carrying a sack over his shoulder. He clears a table, dropping the sack upon it. The sack writhes, moving until the dwarf gets out of it. "Well, should've figured you'd be after the sword," the dwarf says.

"Tell them," the masked demon growls at him.

"Kiss my grubby ass," the dwarf smarts off at him, only to have a knife pressed against his throat with another order to tell them what he knows. The dwarf smiles cockily, "You're too late. Excalibur has chosen its next heir and now Piper Halliwell has it. She's being trained how to use it."

"By who? Who's training her?" the Dark Knight asks.

The dwarf shrugs before punching the masked demon in his groin and zipping away.

"Does this change anything?" the demon asks the Dark Knight.

"It changes everything."

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"I think we got everything you need. Plant roots, fungi, herbs, creature parts, insects…" Richard is saying as he leads Phoebe and Paige into a room filled with ingredients. He flips on a light so that they can see.

"Creature parts?" Phoebe asks.

"Fairy wings," Richard says.

"Wait, fairy wings?" Phoebe looks at him sharply.

"Well, I didn't kill them if that's what you're wondering," the man says defensively.

"Then how did you get them?" Phoebe counters.

"Uh, Phoebe?" Paige warns.

"Actually," Richard says calmly, "I'm not sure. My family's been stockpiling this stuff for years because of the feud."

"Yeah, but the feud's over, right?" Phoebe inquires.

"Hey, you know, I think we're gonna need a mortar and pestle for the potion. Do you have one?" Paige asks, trying to head off the direction this is going in, glaring at her sister.

"Yeah," Richard answers, leaving the room to go get it.

Paige turns to Phoebe, "What are you doing?"

"What?"

"You don't have to treat him like he's evil," Paige accuses.

"Paige, I'm just reacting to what I see. I mean, how many guys do you know that stockpile gremlin ears?"

"Okay, first your not so subtle column, and now this. Why don't you just come out and admit it," Paige says, "You hate him."

Phoebe shakes her head, "Paige, I don't hate him. I'm just worried."

"Well, don't worry because I know what I'm doing."

"Okay, so are you telling me that it doesn't bother you at all that he's using magic again? Or that he has this… this room hidden?"

"What part of 'this is not your business' aren't you getting?" Paige demands in frustration.

"Oh, Paige. I'm worried about you, okay? Just like you were worried about me when I was dating a demon."

Paige gives Phoebe a look, pointedly saying, "Richard is not a demon."

"No, I know he's not a demon, Paige, but he has a dark side and powerful magic, and that is a very dangerous combination. I… I'm worried about you, okay? I'm sorry."

Richard returns to the room, handing Paige the mortar and pestle, "Here."

"Thanks," Paige says, putting it on the table.

"Everything alright?" Richard asks, sensing the tension between the siblings.

"Let's just get this over with," Paige says.

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In the Manor's attic, Piper and Mordaunt are still fighting with their swords. Dancing with the blades as if it is something they've been doing their whole lives. Piper twists her sword, disarming Mordaunt and pushes him forcefully against the wall.

"You're a quick study," Mordaunt says.

"You're a good teacher," Piper replies.

Mordaunt's lips twist upwards into a smile that borders on the sinister, "So, you feel the sword's power?"

"Yes."

"How's it feel?"

Piper pulls back from him, twisting the blade in her hands, "Not bad."

"You and Excalibur are becoming one. Soon nothing will matter. Nothing except the desire to rule," Mordaunt says.

The Dark Knight, the demon, and two masked demons shimmer into the room. The Dark Knight stares at Mordaunt and then narrows his eyes, "You."

"I was wondering when you would show up," Mordaunt says flippantly to the Dark Knight. Then to Piper, "Take him."

The Dark Knight dives forward to attack Piper. Mordaunt grabs his sword and the three other demons flow forwards to attack him.

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Back at Richard's house in the ingredient room, Phoebe and Paige are busily making the potion from the list provided by Mordaunt.

"Wearboar tusk, one pinch," Paige reads off the ingredients while Phoebe drops them in the potion, "Nymph hair, one lock."

"Oh, I hope this isn't from someone we know," Phoebe says, tossing the hair into the potion.

"Wraith essence, three drops," Paige reads.

"One, two, three," Phoebe counts as she drops it in.

"And black poppy, one level teaspoon," Paige says.

"I've never even heard of black p…"

"NO!" Richard shouts, using telekinesis to slide Phoebe out the door and away from the potion before she can drop the black poppy in. Paige races over to her while Phoebe gets up.

"Phoebe, are you okay?" Paige asks in concern, "Richard?"

Richard grabs a pinch of poppy and moves back, "Wait. Watch." Richard waits a beat before throwing the poppy into the potion. It explodes violently. "Don't ever mix wraith essence with black poppy. Never."

Paige's eyes grow wide as she realizes what would have happened, "Why would Mordaunt do this?"

"Because he wants you dead," Richard says.

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In the attic Piper and Mordaunt are still fighting against the Dark Knight and the three demons. Piper flows with Excalibur in the fight and vanquishes the demon and one of the two masked demons. The Dark Knight has grabbed Mordaunt.

"I thought we made a deal," the Dark Knight accuses.

"I don't need you to get to the sword anymore. I've got her," Mordaunt pushes him away. Piper twirls, vanquishing the last masked demon and then the Dark Knight as well. As they explode and turn to piles of ash, Mordaunt smiles triumphantly. "Your assimilation is complete. You are now one with Excalibur."

"Now what?" Piper asks.

Paige and Phoebe orb in and Piper turns towards them, raising the sword in preparation for another attack.

Paige holds her hands up, "It's just us."

"He's not what you think he is," Phoebe warns.

"He tried to kill us," Paige says.

"He wants the sword," Phoebe adds.

"But the sword chose me," Piper says calmly, tightening her grip on Excalibur.

Paige shakes her head, "No, honey, he's just using you. He wants the power of the sword for himself. We realize that now. And don't you remember? This morning? Chris? The sword chose him? Is that ringing any bells?"

"You're not meant to control the sword, Piper," Phoebe says.

"But I _do_ control it," Piper says, then draws back from her sisters. Piper's eyes narrow dangerously, "And you don't think I can."

Mordaunt lays a hand on Piper's arm, "Perhaps we should leave."

"Paige, Paige," Phoebe says, "Paige."

Paige holds out her hand, "Excalibur." She tries to orb the sword to herself. It starts to leave Piper's hands and then solidifies back without leaving her grip.

Piper looks coldly at her sisters, "Don't do that again."

Mordaunt smiles, "It appears your queen has spoken."

Piper and Mordaunt vanish and Phoebe catches her lower lip in her teeth, "Her majesty has left the building."

"Or her madness," Paige says quietly.

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**Author's Note:** I hope you guys are enjoying this so far. I know Lady Gallatea Ravenclaw, Darkmagyk, Zeria, AlphaPsiOmega, Kitty-Witty-Kate, aerohead1980, Belladona-Isabella, and angelkat2502 are enjoying it because they've all posted reviews. Thank you guys! As for the rest of you all that haven't reviewed… please, please… click that little button down there and make my day!


	5. Chapter 5

**Sword and the City** **Rewrite (Part V)**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Charmed or any of the characters… although, I really wish I did own at least a certain slightly neurotic, but charmingly adorable future Whitelighter. Unfortunately they belong to someone else. So does the episode Sword and the City.

**Author's Note**: This was a little wild hare of mine… and I just had to get it out. The episode Sword and the City originally ran in Season 6 of Charmed… one of only two episodes that season that _didn't_ have Chris in it. I figured, there must have been some reason for it, right? Anyway, here's my altered version… and to the request of those that have been reviewing my first posted fan-fic ever… this next segment has just what you were asking for: more Chris!

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When Chris left the Manor, he hadn't had any set place in mind for where he was going to go. He just knew he needed to get out of there. He had a desperate need to think and clear his head in an effort to sort out what had just happened. If he had stayed a moment longer, his cover would have been shattered beyond repair. He had nearly called Piper 'mom' as it was. Survival instinct told him to keep her separate in his mind from the woman he had grown up with. The woman who had died in his past, but who was still very much alive now that he had traveled back even before his very own birth.

The glimmering trail of orbs coalesces into the dark-haired young man as he appears in an all too familiar park. _The next King Arthur._ Excalibur had come out into his hands. "Is this someone's idea of a great cosmic joke?!" Chris shouts to no one. His voice stirs a roosting pigeon from atop the stone angel statue.

Sinking down onto the bench, Chris starts to cover his face with his hands, noticing as he raises them towards his face that they are shaking. _Pull yourself together Chris,_ he tells himself silently, _it was just a mistake. The sword belongs to Wyatt._

As much as Chris would have liked to have taken that symbol of Wyatt's rule and thrown it back into whatever lake it had emerged from, there was no way he could actually do that. It would risk changing too much to take Excalibur away from Wyatt.

_But you already did that, didn't you?_ Chris's inner dialogue continues. This time his hands do make it to his face, rubbing across his features and continuing upwards to rake through his dark hair. _You drew the sword from the stone. _He can't help wondering what the sisters must be thinking. What must Leo be thinking? Especially after his hasty flight away from the Manor. He couldn't help it. _That wasn't supposed to happen,_ he argues with himself, _Wyatt took Excalibur after Mom died… it belongs to him, not to me. Yeah? Well, then why did it slide out of the sword when you grabbed it? Explain that one._

"I don't have time to be the next King Arthur," Chris mumbles into his hands. He needs to concentrate on saving Wyatt. But the sword had sung when he had drawn it. He had heard the musical notes of the blade ringing in his ears, could still hear them even now that he had moved away from it. And it had glowed. He couldn't remember it doing that when Wyatt had pulled it from the stone the first time, but with so many other painful memories clouding his thoughts of that day, it's hardly a detail that Chris thinks he would have considered important enough to remember.

Chris sits there on the bench like that, unmoving for what feels like an eternity. He is almost afraid to move. It feels to him like someone has poured cement around him and it was slowly solidifying. "…a shame there isn't going to be anyone around to pull _me_ out of the stone before I drown in the bottom of the damn lake," he grumbles, feeling even worse for the fact that now he was actually talking to himself. He has to think this through. He really has to think this through.

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Elsewhere, while the son that she had yet to conceive was dealing with an inner struggle over the ownership of the sword, Piper had changed into more suitable attire for the powerful wielder of Excalibur. With Mordaunt at her side, the eldest Charmed sister stood inside the cave looking at the round table before them.

"It doesn't look like much of a kingdom," Piper says.

"This is just where it begins. Where you form your inner circle," Mordaunt explains.

"Let me guess. The knights of the round table?" Piper asks with a hint of skeptical sarcasm.

Mordaunt moves behind Piper, placing himself close enough to her that his next words are almost a whispered purr into her ears. "The knights of _your_ round table. You're on a new path now, a new destiny."

Piper smiles, leaning back just a hair towards the man's whispering voice, "That's good because I was getting a little bored of the old one."

"A world of adventure awaits you. Warfare, conquest. Camelot."

"And what exactly is Camelot?" Piper asks, turning around to face him.

"Whatever you want it to be. It's your kingdom to make," Mordaunt states.

Piper lifts her brows, "Could you be a little more specific?"

"There will be no one above you, no one to challenge you. You will have free reign to reshape the way things are. To create a world of your dreams. All will bow down before you," Mordaunt says as he caresses her cheek, "All will serve your every desire."

Piper leans into the caresses, smiling at him, "Including you?"

"Especially me, my queen," Mordaunt says, bending forward to press his lips against Piper's. His hand out stretches towards the sword, but the weapon slides across the table away from him. Mordaunt pulls back from Piper and steps further away.

Piper tilts her head, watching him move away from her, "What is it?"

"Well," Mordaunt says, "we must build your kingdom first, and to do that we need to fill your round table with knights."

"Very well," Piper says, "I have a few ideas."

Mordaunt places a hand on her arm, smiling, "No. Let me be your council. I know best who will serve you well. But they will not come easily. You must challenge them on fields of battle. Force them to join you."

Piper picks up Excalibur, looking at the gleaming blade. A confident smile spreads over her features, "I think I can do that."

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Paige, Phoebe, and Leo stand in the Manor's conservatory. Paige is dedicatedly trying to scry for Piper without any success.

"Anything," Leo asks.

Paige shakes her head, sighing in frustration, "I wish you had found Chris. I don't know how we're going to get the sword away from her otherwise." Paige leans back against the couch in momentary defeat, "Nope, can't find Piper anywhere."

"Well, keep looking, she's bound to show up somewhere," Leo says.

Paige makes a face, "Yeah, to do what?"

Phoebe paces, "I don't understand. If she wasn't supposed to pull the sword out of the stone, then why was she able to?"

Leo answers patiently, "Because according to the other Elders, she was only meant to pass it on to whom ever it was really meant for. She was meant to leave it in the stone until the next owner was ready for it. Which, by what happened this morning with Chris… my guess is that she was supposed to guard it until he was ready to take it in this timeline, but since his future self was there, the sword recognized him anyway."

"Yeah, but Phoebe said he was scared to death when the sword came out for him," Paige says, "If it was meant for him in the future, don't you think he would have known that it was? I mean, I know the guy is big on keeping secrets, but being the next King Arthur--"

Phoebe interrupts Paige, "So, Piper's not the next King Arthur but she is the new Lady of the Lake. And our neurotic whitelighter from the future _is_ the new King Arthur?"

Leo thinks that's a more simplified down version of it all. Leo nods, "Basically, yeah."

"Well, why is it turning her evil?" Phoebe asks.

"Because only the ultimate power on earth can handle Excalibur. Only the one that it is truly meant for can use it without being corrupted. That's why the Lady stayed in the lake to insulate herself from the power of the sword," Leo answers. Okay, so he was paraphrasing what the other Elders had said about the Sword. They hadn't said 'the ultimate power', those were his words, because he couldn't bring himself to call Chris 'powerful and noble-hearted', the boy is the complete opposite of that in his mind.

Paige crosses her arms over her chest, "Okay, so we should find Piper and then drown her." At the look received from Leo, Paige adds, "Oh, I'm just kidding Leo."

"It's no joke," Leo says seriously, "It might be the only way to keep the power from consuming her, destroying her."

"Still, what does Mordaunt want with Piper?" Phoebe asks, "I mean, he's tricky, but he's hardly the ultimate power on earth."

"But he can use Piper to become that power," Leo says.

The crystal Paige has been scrying with finally lands on a point on the map. Paige nods, satisfied that her diligence has paid off, "Guess who just surfaced."

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**Author's Note:** Poor overwhelmed Chris. :) He's so cute when he's stressing out. Thank you all who have reviewed!

insanechildfanfic: Glad you think it's great!

Aerohead1980: Read on and find out, but yes, the sword was meant for Chris.

Kitty-Witty-Kate: I'll be updating real soon, promise!

Belladona-Isabella: Yep, more Chris… and he says he's fine. You know F.I.N.E. Freaked out. Insecure. Neurotic. And Emotional. Thanks for the review.

Plutobaby494: It makes me happy that you're enjoying it.

bstant: I'll update as soon as I can.

Harm Marie: Heehee, I enjoyed writing it, I'm glad that you enjoyed reading it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Sword and the City** **Rewrite (Part VI)**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Charmed or any of the characters… although, I really wish I did own at least a certain slightly neurotic, but charmingly adorable future Whitelighter. Unfortunately they belong to someone else. So does the episode Sword and the City.

**Author's Note**: This was a little wild hare of mine… and I just had to get it out. The episode Sword and the City originally ran in Season 6 of Charmed… one of only two episodes that season that _didn't_ have Chris in it. I figured, there must have been some reason for it, right? Anyway, here's my altered version… Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this so far. It's really encouraging!

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A demon goes flying through the air as the sunshine shines down cheerily from above. Piper walks forward with Mordaunt trailing behind her as the demons crashes into a stack of hay. The eldest Charmed sister crosses the distance between herself and the demon, pointing Excalibur at his throat. Every so casually Piper questions Mordaunt, "Should I kill him?"

"You're the Queen," the man croons at her.

Piper sniffs, lifting her chin a bit and smiling coolly at his response. Looking down at the demon she has at her disposal she says, "I need one more knight to set up my round table. Care to join me?"

"Join you? Which side are you on?" the demon asks.

Mordaunt chooses to answer the question, "All we're interested in is the greatest power. Become one of us."

"What he said," Piper agrees.

"What do I get out of it?" the demon asks skeptically.

Piper looks down the blade of the sword at him, "You get to live."

In a glimmer of orbs, Phoebe and Paige appear. The youngest of the woman speaks up once they have solidified in the alley with their power-hungry elder sibling. "Piper."

"I should have known it was a trap," the demon growls as he gets up.

Piper points at him, "You stay put." To her sisters, her tone is icy, "You, I warned you."

"Sorry, your majesty," Phoebe says, immediately lobbing a potion at Piper. Piper raises the sword, destroying the potion effortlessly before it can touch her. Phoebe shouts, "Paige, now, orb her!"

Paige orbs out of the way just as Piper throws Excalibur at her. The weapon buries itself in a tank as it passes through the orb trail. Orbing back in behind Piper, Paige grabs hold of her older sister. Piper is having none of that and she reaches back and throws Paige over her shoulders. Paige flips, landing roughly on the ground in front of Phoebe not having accounted for that response. Piper extends her hand towards Excalibur. The enchanted blade pulls free from its new roost, flying straight into Piper's waiting hand.

"Impressive, huh?" Mordaunt asks smugly to the demon, "Now, make your queen proud."

Phoebe helps Paige up, a new game plan already trying to formulate in her mind. She doesn't get a chance to do more than casually contemplate it before both she and Paige find themselves being electrocuted by the demon. Their bodies drop to the ground, leaving their ethereal spirits standing over them.

"What just happened?" Paige asks softly.

"I don't know, but I don't think it's good," Phoebe responds.

Piper, Mordaunt, and the demon disappear, leaving the other two for dead.

Paige shouts, "Leo!"

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Piper, Mordaunt and the demon appear in the cave containing the Round Table. The demon strides over to take a seat with three other demons who are present. There is only one seat remaining open at the table at the last point of the pentagram.

Piper speaks to her demonic subjects, her knights as she moves towards the table with Mordaunt, "Welcome. I assume you're all wondering why you've been gathered here. But don't worry, if I wanted to kill you I would have done so already. You are the chosen few who will help chart a new world order, united under me"

"Excuse me, your majesty, we're getting ahead of ourselves," Mordaunt interrupts.

"Are we?" Piper asks.

Mordaunt says, "The small matter of the loyalty oath."

Piper nods, "Oh, yeah, that's right. Uh, administer that oath."

Mordaunt inclines his head to Piper. "Yes, your majesty." Turning to the demons gathered around the table, he continues speaking, "If you will all put your left hand…" One demon interrupts with a growl. "Or claw on one of the five points of the pentagram in front of you," Mordaunt instructs as he settles into the fifth seat. He puts his hand on the point before him and chants, "Supreme demonic powers, leave your host and find a new home in this willing heart." The pentagram glows and the demons begin to shake before one at a time they are vanquished, the trail of their powers flows along the pentagram at last settling into the waiting Mordaunt.

"What are you doing?" Piper asks, "Stop!" The last demon is vanquished, leaving its powers to settle into Mordaunt. Piper stares at him, "You vanquished all my knights. Why?"

Excalibur leaves Piper and floats into Mordaunt's hand, "Fulfilling my centuries old quest. To control Excalibur."

Piper gapes, "But it belongs to me."

"No, it doesn't," Mordaunt says, "It never did. But thanks to you and the combined powers of your knights, now it belongs to me. I'm the ultimate power."

"I don't understand," Piper says as the fog from the sword's clouding of her judgment slowly begins to lift.

"It's simply transferred power, that's all. You helped me become powerful enough to wield it, my dear Lady of the Lake. And now all that remains to do is to eliminate the true recipient of Excalibur before he grows old enough to fulfill his destiny as the son of a Charmed One."

Piper blinks and starts to take a step back from Mordaunt. _The son of a Charmed One? Wyatt?_ Piper thinks automatically, feeling the leap of fear for her son constrict her heart. She hadn't been meant to control Excalibur. Chris had drawn it this morning, _but, but he's not the son of a Charmed One_. Clearly Mordaunt didn't know what he was talking about. But that didn't matter. Not if he thought that he knew who the sword's rightful owner was. The man in front of her thought that the sword was meant for her little angel and in his thinking, he intended to kill Wyatt. "You can't hurt him, he's protected."

"I couldn't before, but I can with this," Mordaunt says, turning Excalibur in his wrist. He moves forwards quickly, thrusting the sword into Piper's middle with a satisfying blow. "Long live the King."

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Chris is on his feet again, pacing back and forth in front of the bench as his mind continues to work over the staggering thoughts. Memories keep trickling in, filtering through the jumble of fearful emotions and worries that are currently weighing on the young man. His mother had used the sword in the past, before it had ever come into Wyatt's possession. He had heard that story growing up. He hoped they had had sense enough to leave the sword alone once he had left, that is a gnawing worry tickling in the back of his mind. It's enough to make him feel guilty for this much needed moment of self-indulgent pity. His mother had taken the sword and it had corrupted her, turned her to a craving of power, so the story went.

Wyatt had been misguided for as long as Chris had known him thanks to whatever had happened to him before Chris had been born. His older brother had always been pushing the boundaries between good and evil, ignoring the consequences of personal gain at every turn. His mother had been working on curbing that behavior, always glad to have at least one son who did the right thing. She had needed him to help her and to help counter-balance Wyatt, to try to pull him back from his continual struggle and downwards spiral. Wyatt was special. He was twice-blessed. He had such a great destiny ahead of him. Wyatt had great power and a great responsibility one day with Excalibur. He was Leo's pride and joy, while Chris found himself relatively ignored.

Except by his mother. She had always reassured him that he was special too and had reminded him exactly why. Wyatt needed him. She needed him. His family needed him. He was important in his own way and she would remind him that having 'great power' didn't always have to be taken literally as was the case with Wyatt. Sometimes, great power came from within and the strength of relationships, the strength of a powerful character.

Then his mother had died. Chris's only champion and one of the foundations for helping keep Wyatt grounded was gone. Wyatt hadn't lost it entirely yet, still skirting the grey areas, but after her death…

"Mom's death and the sword were the last straw," Chris whispers quietly to himself. He swallows hard as the pieces click into place. _I don't want it!_ Chris's inferiority complex to his brother threatens to drag him down, _I'm not good enough or powerful enough for Excalibur. _He certainly doesn't feel deserving of it, especially after all of the deceitful things he had done since coming to the past. Bianca had influenced him more than he had realized. Chris shakes his head, arguing with himself, "You're jumping to conclusions. You don't have any evidence that the sword… but… he never had a real quest for power until after mom died. When he took the sword to get vengeance on mom's killer… that was when he…"

Like someone who has solved an age-old riddle, but doesn't like the answer that he has come to, Chris makes a face and stops his pacing. He sinks back onto the bench wearily. "…it really wasn't meant for him." Chris feels numb.

It was all making sense. All of the little things that Chris had missed were clicking into place like pieces of a puzzle. The fact that Wyatt's true quest for Power had begun after their mother's death and his premature possession of the sword. Piper had wanted him to wait until he was eighteen, but her early death had removed that obstacle. How many times had his mother caught Chris looking at Excalibur in the attic? The song he'd heard this morning when he had drawn it was the same one that had so frequently pulled him to the attic to look at it, he is sure of it now.

Not that it is a very comforting certainty to have. And how many times had Piper reminded him not to touch it because it could risk turning him evil? He had heard her time and again say that she could deal with one son having difficulties with the line between good and evil, but if her baby boy turned too it would break her heart. She needed him for support, needed him to help balance Wyatt. _I did a great job at keeping him balanced,_ Chris thinks self-depreciatively. How wrong she had been about which son the sword would corrupt…

"…he wouldn't have stepped over that last edge if he hadn't taken the sword," Chris whispers heavily into his hands. The sword would never have turned Chris. Not if it was really meant for him.

A new resolve begins to creep its way into his bones. Yet another thing to tack onto his mission: making certain that the sisters knew that the sword wasn't meant for Wyatt. He had already done that this morning in part, unwittingly, in grabbing the sword that his mother had always told him never to touch. The sisters had seen it was meant for him… but they didn't know who he was. Not yet. He wasn't even born yet. He wasn't even conceived! People were counting on him, countless people in the future, and members of the Resistance. This had to become part of his mission as much as stopping whatever evil had _begun_ the process of turning Wyatt down the wrong path.

Chris stares at his hands. They aren't shaking any longer at least. Still that does little to soothe the chill from the realization he had made. Nor does it comfort the sickening twist that finds its way into his stomach when he remembers another part of the story of Excalibur he had heard growing up. His mother had been told that the sword was meant for the son of a Charmed One. They had just always assumed that meant Wyatt, the first born, the Twice-Blessed. No one had ever even considered it could be meant for Chris, least of all himself. Chris pales at the thought that creeps in, "…they're going to figure it out…"

With that thought Chris stands back up, only to feel a shooting pain race through his stomach and climb its way up to his chest. Chris's green eyes squeeze shut as his face twists into a mask of pain and he doubles over. Panting, Chris rests his hands on his knees and tilts his head to look off in the direction the pain is coming from. "Mom…"

In a swirling trail of orbs he hurries towards her.

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**Author's Note:** We're coming into the home stretch now. Only two chapters to go! All these reviews are wonderful, thank you all so much! It's going to take me a while to manage to personally go through all of them to thank you all individually.


	7. Chapter 7

**Sword and the City** **Rewrite (Part VII)**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Charmed or any of the characters… although, I really wish I did own at least a certain slightly neurotic, but charmingly adorable future Whitelighter. Unfortunately they belong to someone else. So does the episode Sword and the City.

**Author's Note**: This was a little wild hare of mine… and I just had to get it out. The episode Sword and the City originally ran in Season 6 of Charmed… one of only two episodes that season that _didn't_ have Chris in it. I figured, there must have been some reason for it, right? Anyway, here's my altered version… Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this so far. It's really encouraging!

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"Ow," Paige complains softly from the chair she is laying on in the Manor's conservatory. Leo is crouched next to her while nearby Phoebe is already trying to scry for Piper again.

"Feeling any better?" Leo asks Paige.

"No, I'm pretty sure 'ow' signifies that I am not in fact feeling any better," Paige grumbles as she sits up, "I'm getting tired of this whole soul separating from my body thing. It's getting to be a disturbing pattern."

"It was pretty close too, your souls were getting ready to move on," Leo says.

"Move on to where exactly?" Paige asks slyly.

Leo glances at her, "Nice try."

Paige shrugs in the manner of a girl who can't be blamed for trying.

Phoebe lets out a breath, "I can not believe Piper. Did you see that look in her eyes?"

"Hey, at least it looked like she was having fun for once," Paige offers optimistically.

"Find her yet?" Leo asks.

"No, nothing," Phoebe responds.

"Alright, keep trying. Just like last time, they can't do anything until they resurface," Leo says.

Paige rubs her temples, "Yeah, unless Mordaunt wants her to help him rule the underworld."

"There's gotta be another way to get her out of this," Phoebe says.

"I just wish we could get Chris back here. If he's the next King Arthur… and we need to separate Piper from the sword, what better way than to have the person she's supposed to give it to take it?" Paige questions.

Wyatt gurgles from the playpen, causing Phoebe to get an idea and she looks towards the other two adults in the room. "Leo… you said the ultimate power on earth right? We can't find Chris, but, well… what about Wyatt? His birth was prophesied, the Twice-Blessed child and all, he's a pretty powerful little tyke, could he…?"

"Oh, yeah, that'd be a _brilliant_ idea, Phoebe," Paige snipes, "Take the sword that is turning Piper _evil_ and give it to the two year old so that _he_ becomes evil. Nice." The redhead rolls her eyes and shouts, "Chris!" Whether he responds or not at least it makes her feel better to try to draw him back to the Manor again.

Phoebe lets out an exasperated sigh, "Well, we don't know who Chris _is _Paige, he may not even be born yet, and after the look on his face this morning, I don't think he had any interest in wielding Excalibur. Besides, he's not answering us. You've been trying to call him. He doesn't want to come back." Phoebe looks towards Wyatt again, "We've got to do _something_." A pained groan from Leo snaps Phoebe's attention towards him, "What's the matter?"

"It's Piper, she's hurt," Leo answers through gritted teeth.

The crystal in Phoebe's hand drops, pointed to a spot on the map. Phoebe gets up, "Harding Park, let's go."

Paige gets up as well, walking over to the playpen, "I got Wyatt."

With Paige offering to stay with Piper and Leo's son, Phoebe and Leo orb away.

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Mordaunt lowers Piper to the ground in Harding Park, leaning over the mortally wounded witch. "Don't worry, it'll all be over soon. Once they come for you, I'll go for him." He smiles cruelly at Piper, lifting the sword so that she can see it.

Chris orbs in, moving towards Mordaunt and his mother. The sword sings softly, Mordaunt frowns at the blade noticing the strange pull that it has for a moment. Mordaunt looks towards Chris, having expected someone else. As he does, those that he had expected orb in behind Chris: Leo and Phoebe. The man's hand tightens around the blade held in his hand and he inclines his head at Chris, Phoebe and Leo. The evil man smiles, disappears and leaves Piper on the ground.

Phoebe gestures frantically at Leo, "Hurry, hurry."

Leo brushes past Phoebe and Chris, dropping quickly to his wife's side to heal her.

"Where did _you_ run off to, Your Majesty?" Phoebe asks Chris.

"Don't call me that! I'm not even bor…" Chris just shakes his head, moving away from Phoebe towards his parents, unable to keep the worry from his voice, "Is she okay? She's gonna be okay right?" Never mind that if she wasn't okay, he wouldn't be standing there any more. He'd have faded into nothing. "What's taking so long?"

Leo doesn't answer as the golden glow springs to his hands and begins to repair Piper's wounds. Piper gasps as she opens her eyes and places her hands where the wound was. There's no longer any evidence of it. She looks up at Leo, then at Chris and Phoebe standing behind him, "That crazy maniac thinks the sword is meant for the son of a Charmed One… where's Wyatt?"

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Mordaunt appears in the Conservatory of the Manor, intent on destroying his competition. Brandishing the legendary blade, Mordaunt crosses towards the playpen, "My apologies, King Wyatt. I guess it just wasn't meant to be."

The man plunges the sword downwards into the lumpy blanket that rests in the playpen. It didn't feel like he had expected it to feel, certainly not the way it had when he had used it to slice through the child's mother. Narrowing his eyes, the man lifts the bundle up, discovering that it is just a teddy bear wrapped in a blanket. Angrily the man shouts, "What!"

Paige orbs in on the other side of the room holding Wyatt, "Ohh, and that's his favorite teddy bear."

Piper, Phoebe, Leo, and Chris orb in. Piper takes Wyatt from Paige, glaring towards the man that had just attempted to murder her son.

"Bet you didn't expect this when you got up this morning," Piper says, turning Mordaunt's earlier words back on him.

Mordaunt smirks, "But I've still got Excalibur."

"Not for long," Phoebe says.

Leo nods towards Chris, "Go for it, Chris."

Chris raises his eyebrows at Leo, looks once at Wyatt held in his mother's arms and then turns to look at the sword held in Mordaunt's hands. Holding his hand out towards the blade, Chris calmly tries to call it to him, "Excalibur." The sword sings as it jerks away from Mordaunt and sails into Chris's waiting hand. The young man moistens his lips, swallowing down the nervousness over the fact that it had actually worked. The resolve he had found earlier still remains, overshadowing the apprehension of finding himself in possession of Excalibur once again.

The golden glow encased the sword for a second time as the song rang through the room so that even Mordaunt and the sisters could hear it. Chris sets his mouth in a grim line, adjusting the blade in his hand without even looking at it. It was true that he didn't want it, but destiny doesn't always ask what the recipients want for themselves. If this helps keep Wyatt from turning into an evil tyrant, then he is still accomplishing what he came here to do. As usual, his thoughts weren't about himself, but for those that he cared about. His family.

Mordaunt gapes, completely taken aback and looking at his empty hand that had only a moment before held the sword. "But… but…" he lifts his eyes to look at the young man holding the sword. Not the infant being held by Piper. "How is that possible? You, you're a grown man, you can't be the son of a Charmed One… you can't be her son."

"Can't I?" Chris asks quietly, hearing the soft intakes of breath from his family behind him. Piper's muted gasp, though audibly the quietest is the loudest in his ears. "You're perfectly right though. I'm not born yet. I'm not even _conceived_ yet. But that's the funny thing about time travel…"

Mordaunt's eyes widen and he continues to stare at the dark-haired young man in shock. Authur was blond. Arthur was blond! He looks from the dark-haired young man to Wyatt and his brow creases in confusion. "How… but…"

"You shouldn't mess with my family," Chris says, releasing the sword and directing it towards the man with telekinesis. Mordaunt starts to take a step back, breaking his frozen-in-shock stance, but it is too late. Excalibur plunges into the man who had tried to steal it from its rightful owner and with a scream he explodes and is vanquished. The sword drops to the floor.

Piper hands Wyatt off to Leo, the first of the sisters to break free of the shocking revelation that Chris is a part of their family. She doesn't say anything at first, walking past the young man from the future to grab the sword. Then, looking towards Chris as if seeing him in a different light, though not entirely convinced yet, she says, "Well, then, until you _are_ born, we'll just keep this someplace safe until your present self catches up with your future self, hmm?" Lifting Excalibur from the ground, Piper carries it over to the stone and pushes the blade back into it.

Phoebe whispers quietly, still staring at their whitelighter from the future, "…wow." She too is looking at Chris in a whole new light and the realization of what's just taken place. "…wow…" she breathes under her breath. He had to be Piper and Leo's son. She could see it now, the undeniable resemblance to Piper, that he was a Whitelighter or rather, she realized now, _half_ Whitelighter. There was no way to deny that Chris was a Halliwell now. Next to her, Phoebe could see Paige reaching the same conclusions. And on her other side, Leo holding Wyatt with an astonished look that spoke volumes of how completely pole-axed he was. The Elder's green eyes, _Chris's_ eyes, Phoebe noted were wide.

"You've got some serious explaining to do Mister," Piper says somewhat sharply to Chris.

Chris swallows hard, looking ready to orb out quickly to avoid the questions. To avoid the sudden urge to wrap his mother in a hug and just blurt out everything. He wants to apologize to her, to actually have that reunion moment with a woman that had been dead since he was fourteen. But the other part of him, the part that had been forced to take over so that he could survive holds him in check. That side tells him he should go before he risks changing more than he already has… but everything has already been turned on its head. Before he can orb out, Piper grabs onto his arm.

"Ah, ah, ah. Not this time, buddy," Piper says. This time her tone is a bit gentler, as if subconsciously she too is noticing the family resemblance in him. Something of her own features, of Leo's eyes, of the small mole on the side of his nose that reminded her of Prue. She is still trying to deny it. No child of hers would behave in such a way, so manipulative of his own family, so secretive. Piper turns to Paige, "Paige, do you think you could orb this into the attic?"

Paige finally gives a start. Piper's question had pulled her out of her own analyzing of events. "Absolutely." The sword and the stone orb out of the conservatory.

"Away from any furniture," Piper adds belatedly. Everyone hears the crash from upstairs.

Paige winces, "Sorry."

Piper sighs, "Don't worry, I'll just add it to my list. Now, Chris… would you care to explain?"

"All I can say is that I can't explain any more right now, not yet," Chris says as the unspoken 'mom' hung in the air. Chris looks at her, the inner turmoil shining in eyes that are temporarily more blue than green, "There are future consequences. I know you hate when I say that, but it's true… and… I need to finish working this out in my head." He looks up at the ceiling, towards the attic where he knows Excalibur is now. "I _really_ need to finish working things out in my head. I… I'm sorry."

The apology takes them all aback, particularly Piper, who isn't used to hearing apologies come out of his mouth. Chris looks towards Wyatt, then to the woman holding his arm that appears in painful denial that he is her son, that she can possibly be related to him. They must all hate him. Pain gnaws at his heart and he clenches his teeth together, as he looks down at Piper's searching chocolate brown eyes. No matter what he says, it still won't save her. He'll still have to return to a future without her, without his family. Impulsively he leans forward and gives her a kiss on the cheek, unable to stop himself. "I promise I'll come back and explain what I can. You have my word. But I really need to be alone to try to sort this all out again before I can talk. I'm sorry..." Again the word 'mom' hangs unspoken in the air after his words.

Piper releases his hand and Chris immediately orbs away.

Phoebe watched him go and put a hand to her heart, "He's so sad… and he loves you Piper, but it makes him painfully sad. I felt that before he left. He must have taken that Empath Blocking Potion that he gave to the two of you, I'm almost sure of it, but his emotions are so strong now that they over power it."

Paige blinks and lamely starts to question the conclusion that everyone has begun to come to, "…you don't think that he's…"

"Piper and Leo's son," Phoebe says in a voice that sounds certain, "Mordaunt said 'the son of a Charmed One' and it would explain a lot of things. Why he can't heal. He's only half-whitelighter. How he knows so much about the house. About us. Why he came back to save Wyatt from some evil coming after him… if Wyatt is his big brother… no one except family would care that much. Don't you see the resemblance?"

"No," Piper says softly, but trying to be firm about her denial. A beat before she adds, far less convincingly, "…no." She knew. In her heart she knew. Her hand lifts to her cheek where Chris had kissed it before he had left and she feels tears well up in her eyes. Her other hand moves of its own accord to rest over her stomach. She looks towards Leo. "But we're not together any more. How could he…? Leo? He split us up to begin with."

Leo looks at Wyatt, then at Piper, "I don't know Piper… but if he is our son, then he's risked his own existence by some of the things he's done. I've made some very bad misjudgments against him. We all have…"

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**Author's Note:** So, what do ya'll think of that? Now they know Chris is their son and that the sword is meant for him. Next Chapter: a heart-to-heart and wrapping this rewritten episode up! Thank you to everyone who has read this so far… and please, be kind to the author, send me a warm review to brighten my day!


	8. Chapter 8

**Sword and the City** **Rewrite (Part VIII)**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Charmed or any of the characters… although, I really wish I did own at least a certain slightly neurotic, but charmingly adorable future Whitelighter. Unfortunately they belong to someone else. So does the episode Sword and the City.

**Author's Note**: This was a little wild hare of mine… and I just had to get it out. The episode Sword and the City originally ran in Season 6 of Charmed… one of only two episodes that season that _didn't_ have Chris in it. I figured, there must have been some reason for it, right? Anyway, here's my altered version… Thanks to everyone who has R&R-ed this one for me! You were a great encouragement to help me get this one finished quickly.

And, now that this one is done… I'll put more focus into my "Destined" series. And some of the other random bits of Chris/Wyatt fanfiction madness that has been bouncing around in my head! I hope you enjoy the last chapter of "Destiny's Pull", my re-write of "Sword and the City".

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Piper paces back and forth across the kitchen, bouncing Wyatt on her hip while she worriedly gnaws on her lower lip. Phoebe and Paige sit at the table watching her, with Leo standing nearby. There was an uncomfortable air around all of them that had remained since they had left the Conservatory to discuss their behavior over the past several months to Chris.

Chris had turned out to be family. He was Piper and Leo's son. He was also the next King Arthur.

Phoebe makes a face into her teacup, feeling absolutely horrible. Part of it was for having not noticed it before, the other part was coming from Piper. "We didn't know honey, you can't blame yourself."

"You're right," Piper mutters, "He should have told us from the start instead of lying to us!"

Phoebe looks up, placing an attempt at a bright smile on her face, "You have to give him credit though, he did do better than any of the rest of us ever have at keeping his identity secret in the past. We never did well at it all the times we've time traveled. It's kind of something to be proud of."

"She does have a point," Paige says.

Leo folds his arms over his chest and sighs.

"We should call him here, summon him, or… Leo, go get him," Piper says, stopping her pacing briefly. "You can go get him can't you? I really want to talk to him. To apologize. To give him a stern talking to! A VERY stern talking to."

"No, he needs the time, just like all of us do," Phoebe says, "He'll come back when he's ready. He can't run away any more and he certainly can't hide who he is. Just give him a little time." Phoebe stands up abruptly, "Speaking of time, I should get back to the office. I have a deadline to meet."

"I should go too," Paige says, looking at Phoebe and then at Piper and Leo. The two parents needed time alone with each other. "Shall we?" she asks Phoebe. The two younger Charmed Sisters step out, Phoebe pausing to give first Piper's then Leo's shoulders reassuring squeezes.

Piper catches her lower lip in her teeth and has to put Wyatt down in his highchair. She lifts a hand to cover her mouth, "We were so horrible to him Leo. I was so horrible to him. How can he possibly forgive me for how I've treated him?" Leo moves over to her, wrapping comforting arms around his ex-wife. Piper leans heavily against him, burying her face in his shoulder. "I just want to talk to him, to tell him I'm sorry and to tell him that I'm here for him…"

"If he has anyone to be angry at Piper, it's me," Leo says, stroking her back and rubbing soothing circles with his hands, "You'll get your chance to tell him. He said he would come back. Phoebe was right, he'll talk to us when he's ready… what we should really talk about right now, is us."

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Chris's stomach is in knots when he orbs back to the park he had escaped to earlier. The appearance of the young man in the swirl of blue and white orbs sends the pigeons flying away from the statue again. The young man ignores them and sinks down onto the bench, sitting on the edge of it so that he can lean back. He links his fingers behind his head as he lays long ways across the stone surface to look up at the sky.

The cat was out of the bag now. There was no way to put it back. If he gave them some sort of potion to make them forget, then they would also forget that Excalibur didn't belong to Wyatt and he would have to come up with some way to explain it. He couldn't do that. He didn't want to do that. He wanted to be accepted by his family. God he had missed them. But it will be painful. He knows they're going to ask so many questions now. More than they already did.

And there are just some things that he can't share with them about his life before. He can't share some of the horrible things that he had seen and experienced. Not without them looking at him with a great deal of pity. Or without it changing the way they would treat Wyatt if they knew. There is the possibility that they will try to treat Chris like a little child now that needs protecting. He doesn't need that. But a part of him selfishly wants it. The little fourteen-year-old boy inside him wants his mother to wrap her arms around him and protect him again. He can't, _won't_, allow himself the luxury though. There are too many people counting on him, and the lives of the innocents would always come before his own.

Chris has to stop whatever or whoever is going to get to Wyatt. That won't change. Being able to rely on his parents, on his family, would take some of the heavy burden from his shoulders though. He won't have to carry it all himself. Even so, it is still _his_ mission. He did one thing right, quite by accident. He had found out that Excalibur belonged to him instead of Wyatt. His list still involves saving Wyatt from turning, keeping the evil that had gotten to him at this tender age from succeeding. He'll come clean with his parents about that.

So many lies. God they must hate him. Chris blows out a breath that sends his too long bangs dancing and sits up. He hates himself for all the deceitful things that he had done, but he'd justified them all as being for the greater good. "…and now, I sound like Leo," Chris mumbles to himself, "Like father like son." With a sigh he leans back against the bench again. He plans to sit there for just a little longer alone, then go to face the music.

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A few hours later, Phoebe is seated in front of her desk at The Bay Mirror working away. Paige steps into the doorway of Phoebe's office and stands watching her older sister.

"Hey, I just finished the last of the filing," Paige says.

"Great, thanks," Phoebe says without looking up.

"Is that, uh, tomorrow's copy?" Paige asks, cautiously stepping further into the office.

"Uh, yeah, I'm just doing some last minute changes," Phoebe answers, "This woman right here is worried that her mother might be marrying the wrong guy."

"Really?"

Phoebe nods, "Yeah, she thinks he might be the devil incarnate."

"Didn't we vanquish the devil incarnate?" Paige asks with a small smile.

"I told her that unless she has absolute proof, she should probably butt out and let her sister live her own life," Phoebe says.

Paige's eyebrows climb, "I thought this was about her mother?"

"Yeah, well, you know what I mean," Phoebe says.

Paige nods, finding herself smiling more, "Yeah, I think I do. It's funny, this is the first job I've gotten without a magical reason behind it."

"Well, there may not have been a magical reason, but there's definitely a reason. I just have to learn to take my own advice."

"Yeah, well, don't start worrying about me too much," Paige says.

"Okay," Phoebe says.

Richard steps into the office, smiling hesitantly at Phoebe and then looking to Paige, "Hey. Sorry to interrupt. You ready to go?"

"Yeah, um," Paige says, looking away from Richard towards Phoebe, "we're going out. Do you wanna join?"

"I would love to, actually, but, uh, I'm gonna take a rain check," Phoebe responds, "It's been a long day." That was an understatement that Paige could appreciate with a smile.

"Okay, good night," Paige says, looping her arm through Richards. The two of them turn and start to leave.

"Hey, Paige. You're fired," Phoebe calls after her little sister with a grin.

Paige stops, turns to look over her shoulder to Phoebe, "Actually, I quit."

-----------------------------------------------------------

Chris laughs, wiping tears away from his eyes, inwardly cursing himself for showing so much vulnerability, but his mother had always been able to do that even when she wasn't trying to. He and Piper are in the attic, sitting on a blanket with Wyatt in front of Excalibur. They had been up there talking together for the last hour. It had been one of the most emotional conversations of Chris's life and the most relieving. His parents didn't hate him for what he had done, but Piper had wished that he had told them sooner. He'd explained that it was just supposed to have been a surgical strike to save Wyatt, that he'd thought it best that they didn't know who he was.

She hadn't taken the news that Wyatt was going to become evil very well, but she had accepted it. And much to Chris's relief, she hadn't pressed for too many details.

"Well, I'm glad that we found out," Piper says, "Now you don't have to carry all that weight on your shoulders by yourself. We know the sword isn't meant for Wyatt now, so it's not going to corrupt him. Now we can focus on stopping whatever else got to him, and you can relax some. I don't want any more of this running around in the Underworld by yourself, risking your neck, nonsense. How old are you, really? How much younger than Wyatt?"

Chris moistens his lips and looks at his mother, "Twenty-one… and not quite two years."

He is still just a baby, so much responsibility for a boy barely old enough to legally drink. Piper reaches her hand over and cups his face in them, "Thank you."

"For?" Chris asks, somewhat startled by the unexpected response.

"Being honest with me finally… and for coming back to save your big brother, to save the world," Piper says gently, "That's just the sort of strong character that the next King Arthur should have."

"But I don't have such strong character," Chris says, "I've done some things that I'm not proud of. Things that I shouldn't have. I manipulated. I killed. Lied to you all… treated you all terribly. You didn't know who I was, but I… I knew who all of you were from the start. I don't deserve that sword. I'm sorry."

"You said yourself that you did it for the people who put their faith in you in the future," Piper says, "So you put it behind you, you learn from it, and you do better the next time. Even the best leaders in the entire world make mistakes. That's where their real power as a leader shows, when they can mess up and still learn from it."

Chris pulls his face away from her hands and looks down when he hears her sigh. She didn't know how strange it was for him. He'd spent the last several months living with her hating him, and the last seven years without her in his life to take care of him. It was strange and more than a little painful to go back to that. "You used to say that sort of thing to me, when I'd get depressed about Wyatt being so powerful and having everything. To make me feel better, I always thought." Chris looks at the sword in the stone in front of them. "I used to stare at it, but you always said that it was meant for Wyatt… that if I took it from the stone, it would turn me evil like it turned you when you were younger. You always said you couldn't bear to have me turned like Wy… I…" Chris gets quiet, looking towards Wyatt as that mask that Piper and her sisters had become so accustomed to in their young whitelighter begins to form.

Piper frowns as she watches the dark-haired youth's face close into the expression she's seen him wearing for most of this last year. She doesn't want to see that look on his face anymore. Not now that she knows he is her son. "Chris, don't do that, we've been talking for over an hour. You can't shut me out now. We're you're parents. I'm your mother. It's what I'm here for."

"But you're not. You're not there for me, and you're not going to be when I go back… I… I'm not doing this for me. I'm doing this because there are other people suffering because of what Wyatt's done in his quest for power. I want to…" Chris starts to stand up, feeling overwhelmed again. It felt like now that he had let the door open on all those emotions he'd been bottling up for years, they just want to crush him.

"I knew all that Future Consequences was a bunch of crap and that you just said it to protect yourself. Well, you're here to _change_ the future damn it, now talk to me," Piper says a bit sharply, grabbing his hand, she pulls him back down to join her and Wyatt on the blanket. "You can talk to me about what you feel like you can, but please, don't shut me out completely again," Piper smiles tenderly, looking very much like the mother he remembered so fondly instead of the distrustful woman who he had come to know as 'Piper', "I do have to say though, are you sure that you're a Halliwell? We've all been to the past before, and none of us have been able to keep the secret for more than a few hours. You've known we were your family for months."

Chris laughs softly, leaning against her as he sits back down. It was a conflicting feeling, the part of him that had become so used to hiding everything warring with the part that just wanted to relish selfishly in this moment with his mother, "That wasn't so hard. I was here for about a week before the Titans showed up trying to work out what I was going to say, rehearsing it… you're all so much younger, and the only family I've had for years has been Wyatt. He wasn't exactly the model big brother these last few years… then I sort of made you guys distrust and hate me… it wasn't that hard to separate you from the family I remember." That's a lie, it was hard and painful and Piper can see that hurt in his eyes now. She lets him continue his explanation in his own way though, gently placing a comforting hand for support atop his own. "You didn't trust me. It was better that way. It made it easier."

"I would think that would make it harder," Leo says, entering the room to join them, "…I'm sorry for the way I've treated you."

Chris looks at Leo, it was going to take a lot more than that single apology to make up for all the hurt over the years. And the continued mistrust that Leo had showed him even here in the past. It was a start though, but some bitterly engrained feelings would take longer to wear away. He would apologize to his mother, but Leo? No, that's going to take more time even still. "Yeah."

"I'm going to have to teach you the story of the boy who cried wolf," Piper says to Chris, "Maybe curb this lying and manipulative behavior at a young age."

Chris smiles, glad to have her pulling him away from having to make some unfelt statement of forgiveness to his father. "I wasn't always like that, Mom," _Mom_, It feels good to call her that. Comforting. He isn't alone here anymore. "It was survival. I just had to adapt… I did what I had to for the people who were counting on me. As much as I don't want to be the owner of Excalibur, and trust me, I don't want it… knowing that it doesn't belong to Wyatt, is one step closer to protecting him and keeping him from turning evil."

Those words still dig at Piper, the thought that her eldest son had become corrupted. And Chris had refused to give her details, not wanting to make matters worse. The only thing in the renewed reminder of her innocent-looking eldest born's future evil was hearing Chris call her 'Mom'.

Leo stares at Chris, having not been up here for the first part of his wife and older youngest son's discussion. "Evil?" he asks, but it dawns on him a second later, "The sword corrupted him…"

Chris shakes his head, "If I thought that were all there was to it, I would leave now… but something else happened to Wyatt before he ever got the sword. He was on the edge before that. For a long time before that and there was very little keeping him in check. The sword must have just taken him that final step. I want to stop whatever or whoever it was that changed him."

Leo nods, understanding and turns towards Piper, "And how are you?"

"Better… I've got my priorities straight now. I just wanted to spend more time with Wyatt instead of trying to get all of those things done around the house. I really wanted to be able to spend time with my son," she looks at Chris, and adds, "…both of my sons."

"Well, you should have more time to do that. I fixed the washer. And the sink, the cable, and the toilet," Leo says.

Piper laughs, "I forgot how handy you were to have around the house."

Chris smiles, as much as he resents Leo, the man was still his father. Maybe there was hope for them yet and he hadn't broken them up entirely. They certainly still seemed to love one another. Leo glances at Chris, who holds up his hands, "Don't look at me, I'm better in the kitchen."

Piper's chocolate eyes sparkle as she says, "That's my boy." She wraps her arms around him in a comforting hug, "Listen, I want you to promise me before we take that thing out of storage, that you're gonna play lots of football and baseball and have lots of normal toys, and maybe we can get a dog…"

Chris grins, "We'll see." He gives her a kiss on the cheek and gets up, dislodging himself from the slightly embarrassing moment. "I'll let you two have some time alone." Chris looks at Wyatt and after a second of hesitation, picks his little-big brother up to walk downstairs with him.

Leo looks at Piper as Chris leaves the room, "Pretty strange, huh?"

Piper offers, "Kind of scary, actually."

"Why?" Leo asks.

"Well, knowing that we have another son… that we're _going_ to have another son. That our first-born is an evil overlord in his future and his little brother risked everything to come back and save him. It makes me proud of Chris, even after all the deception he's put us through, but at the same time terrified for Wyatt. Wyatt was supposed to have this great destiny ahead of him and now we've found out that something corrupts him… all that power on the side of evil… I'm worried about what he might have… no, _must_ have done to his little brother… to so many innocent people…"

"We're going to fix that Piper," Leo says calmly, helping his wife to her feet, "That's what Chris came back for… it's not something we're going to solve overnight."

"It doesn't make it any less scary, though," Piper says softly, "But you're right, that's tomorrow's problem. I'll worry about it then."

Piper slips out of the room with her arm wrapped around Leo's waist. Positioned in the center of the room, a soft golden gleam sparkles across Excalibur, just before Piper turns off the attic light.

-----------------------------------------------------------

**Author's Note:** Aww, I'm kind of sad that it's over. Thanks everyone who has read and reviewed and been with me through this, my first endeavor at posting a fanfic online. Now I've got the bug and all the story ideas that I've been keeping to myself for all this time are just itching to come out, be written and be shared! I haven't decided what I'm going to do with this idea from this point. Whether I'm going to do a rewrite of the other episodes, branching off from this variation (and include Used Karma, since Chris wasn't in that one either!) with them knowing that Chris is Piper's son from this point forward, and that Excalibur belongs to him. At the very least, I might do a sequel to this or something. Tell me what ya'll think… read and review!


	9. Author's Note

**Author's Note**: This isn't actually a Chapter _per se_ since the story is over… this is actually just me rambling on a bit. I went through the story and edited the tenses in the parts where Chris was to make it present tense as with the other parts of the story. I also made a few other somewhat minor changes to the story and have considered others -- like perhaps permitting Mordaunt to survive, but I'm just debating upon that and haven't come to any true conclusions of whether or not I will make that change. The main reason for this ramble is to point out that I did indeed go back and edit the tense of the story and make a few little changes to it.

As well… this ramble is to consider continuing with this Alternate Reality version of Season Six. Going back perhaps and writing the other episodes to expand a bit further on Chris's thoughts in them and continuing forward with the Season from this point forward with the Charmed Ones aware of who Chris is. Doing this would of course change much of what happens in the next episodes. I just don't want this project to take away from the Destined or Pre-Destined series, since this is rather unrelated to them.

The episodes after "Sword in the City" which was episode eight of the _actual_ Season are as follows:

6.9 - Little Monsters

6.10 - Chris-Crossed

6.11 - Witchstock

6.12 - Prince Charmed

6.13 - Used Karma

6.14 - The Legend of Sleepy Halliwell

6.15 - I Dream of Phoebe

6.16 - The Courtship of Wyatt's Father

6.17 - Hyde School Reunion

6.18 - Spin City

6.19 - Crimes and Witch Demeanors

6.20 - A Wrong Day's Journey Into Right

6.21 - Witch Wars

6.22 - It's a Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad World (I)

6.23 - It's a Bad, Bad, Bad, Bad World (II)

So, should I go through with this project… there would be quite a lot of changes, both to the episodes and to the overall flow of the season… with more than just "Chris Crossed" as insight into the future that Chris came from. So, if you all really do think that I should project let me know and my version of "Little Monsters" will be the next on my list.


End file.
